Defense witness: Teen in school bomb case was seeking attention

Lillian Adolphson, vice president of behavior services at Utah Behavior Services, testifies in a case regarding a juvenile accused of bringing a bomb to Pine View High School and vandalizing Hurricane High School with ISIS messages July 13, 2018.(Photo: Ben Pollchik / pool photo via KUTV)

A teen's autism spectrum disorder diagnosis was again the center of scrutiny in his court case Friday. The 16-year-old boy is accused of bringing a backpack bomb to one Southern Utah high school and vandalizing another with ISIS messages.

Defense attorney Steven Harris called Lillian Adolphson, vice president of behavior services at Utah Behavior Services, to the stand to testify about a brief psychological evaluation UBS conducted on the teen specific to his autism spectrum disorder diagnosis.

Friday's proceeding marked one of the last hearings of the secondary portion of the preliminary hearing in the case, used to determine if the teen will be tried in juvenile court or if his case will be transferred to adult court.

Witness argues teen was motivated by attention

The bulk of Adolphson's testimony centered around her interpretation of the teen's diagnosis, his psychological evaluations and his behaviors during a video-recorded interview with police after he was arrested March 5.

Adolphson testified the boy's behaviors are consistent with those typically seen in individuals diagnosed with autism, not psychopathy. She referenced verbal and non-verbal indicators the teen exhibited during the interview, like exaggerated use of gestures, difficulty answering abstract questions, a lack of empathy and lack of reciprocal social interaction.

The boy's experiences with bullying in school were again brought to the court's attention.

Deputy County Attorney Angela Adams cross-examines a defense witness in a case involving a juvenile accused of bringing a bomb to Pine View High School and vandalizing Hurricane High School with ISIS messages July 13, 2018.(Photo: Ben Pollchik / pool photo via KUTV)

"Children on the autism spectrum are more likely to be targeted by bullying because they may engage in atypical social behaviors. Some of their mannerisms may be odd, and they may lack some of the skills to respond effectively to bullying, which makes them more vulnerable," Adolphson said.

Although an individual diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder may not appear to have communication deficits, there may be delays in comprehension, Adolphson testified.

In addition, she argued the teen's behavior seemed to be attention-seeking rather than retaliatory to the bullying he endured in school.

"In the video, (the teenager) didn't report being a victim of bullying in the high school setting, but he did give an indication he wanted to see how people would respond," Adolphson said. "It appeared he enjoyed the attention he was receiving for that. It appeared the function of his behavior was to gain access to attention."

Authorities say the defendant left a homemade incendiary device in the cafeteria at Pine View High School in St. George in March. He was charged with two first-degree felonies: attempted murder and use of a weapon of mass destruction.

He also faces misdemeanor charges of graffiti and abuse of a flag in connection with a February incident at Hurricane High School in which "ISIS is comi-" was written on one of the school's exterior walls and the school's American flag was replaced with an ISIS flag.

'He'd be better off in a therapeutic setting'

During Adolphson's testimony, she said the teen would be a better fit in the juvenile court system because he would have better access to mental-health treatment and could be integrated into society in a more therapeutic setting.

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Judge Paul Dame during the preliminary hearing of the 16-year-old boy accused of bringing a incendiary device to Pine View High School Wednesday, June 20, 2018.(Photo: Chris Caldwell / The Spectrum & Daily News)

However, Adolphson's qualifications were questioned by Deputy County Attorney Angela Adams during cross examination. Adams argued Adolphson was not qualified to testify on the differences between the juvenile and adult court systems in regard to inmates' access to mental-health treatment.

Judge Paul E. Dame will hear closing arguments Monday, marking the end of the preliminary hearing in the case. The court will then decide whether or not the teen's case will be tried in adult court.